Preliminary Evaluation of the Ergonomic Properties of Gloves for Protection Against Mineral Oils Based on Manual Dexterity Tests

The objective of this study was to conduct a preliminary evaluation of the ergonomic properties of gloves designed for protection against mineral oils. Two standardized tests were employed for assessing comfort of use: the finger dexterity test and the grip and pull test. The study was carried out under conditions simulating the real-life usage of gloves; mineral oil was spread on the gloves’ surface, which is a novelty relative to the methodology described in the relevant standards. Four types of gloves commonly used for protection against mineral oils were studied. The first test involved 10 human subjects, and the second 4 subjects. Preliminary evaluation of the ergonomic properties of gloves was conducted by means of the finger dexterity test (evaluation of fine finger movements) and a cylinder grip and pull test (evaluation of the gross movements of the arms and hands). These tests showed that mineral oil present on the surface of the gloves (in the dexterity test and the grip and pull test) negatively affected the ergonomic properties of the gloves. It was established that the glove material influenced the subjects’ evaluation of the effort put into gripping and pulling a cylinder while wearing oiled gloves. The study also showed that the cylinder grip and pull test, used to examine the gross movements of the arms and hands, is more sensitive than the finger dexterity test and allows for more accurate verification of a glove material in the case of exposure to oils. It should be noted that gloves made entirely of chloroprene rubber exhibited the smallest decrease in ergonomic properties in the most difficult test involving oiled gloves and a cylinder. This material provides greater comfort of use than a liner coated with acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber or nitrile rubber.